Improve English-Oxford Cambridge And Red Brick Unis Ep 815

English Listening Practice - Is Oxbridge like Hogwarts?

Did you know that over 680,000 international students chose UK universities in just one year? Or that some British universities still require students to wear formal gowns, just like in Harry Potter?

Welcome to Adept English, the podcast where you learn English through fascinating real-world topics. Today, we're diving into UK universities, from the ancient halls of Oxford and Cambridge to the modern 'Red Brick' and 'Russell Group' institutions.

If you or someone you know dreams of studying in the UK, this episode is packed with essential vocabulary, cultural insights, and even a few surprises (like why Cambridge calls its terms 'Michaelmas' and 'Lent').

By the end, you'll not only upgrade your English skills but also navigate the UK university system like a pro. Ready to learn while unlocking the secrets of British higher education? Let's begin.

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More About This Lesson

Ever wondered what makes UK universities like Oxford, Cambridge, or the 'Red Brick' schools so special? Or why students obsess over the 'Russell Group'? Well, in this episode, we're diving into the fascinating world of British universities—from ancient traditions to modern 'Metropolitan' schools. And hey, if you've ever dreamed of studying in the UK (or just want to sound smart in English), this lesson is packed with must-know vocabulary and insider tips. Oh, and fun fact: Did you know some universities still make students wear Harry Potter-style gowns? Yeah, seriously!

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Listening to this English lesson will help:

1. You learn practical vocabulary about UK universities and education systems.
2. You understand common terms like "Red Brick" and "Russell Group" in context.
3. You hear natural pronunciation of challenging place names (e.g., "Loughborough").
4. You pick up formal phrases like "prospective students" for academic settings.
5. You recognize British vs. American spelling (e.g., "metre" vs. "meter").
6. You grasp cultural insights about UK university traditions and hierarchies.
7. You practice listening to descriptive language about architecture and history.
8. You identify transitional phrases for explaining categories (e.g., "another group is...").
9. You hear contractions and connected speech in natural dialogue.
10. You gain exposure to formal and informal registers in education topics.

So why is this topic perfect for English learners? First, it's packed with practical vocabulary—words like 'prospective,' 'campus,' and 'elite' pop up all the time in real-life discussions. Plus, understanding these terms helps you follow news or debates about education.

And if you're planning to study abroad? Even better! You'll learn how to compare universities, talk about courses, and even handle tricky place names (looking at you, 'Loughborough'). It's not just language practice—it's preparation for global conversations!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What are 'Red Brick' universities in the UK?
   Red Brick universities are a group of prestigious institutions established during the Victorian era, named for their distinctive red-brick architecture. These include universities like Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, and Sheffield. They originally focused on science and engineering, offering education to students beyond the upper classes. Today, they remain highly respected and are often part of the Russell Group.

2. What is the difference between 'Oxbridge' and 'Russell Group' universities?
   Oxbridge refers specifically to the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge, two of the oldest and most elite institutions in the UK. The Russell Group, on the other hand, is a larger association of 24 research-intensive universities, including Oxbridge, Red Brick, and Plate Glass universities. While Russell Group universities are highly ranked, not all top-tier UK universities (like St Andrews or Bath) are part of this group.

3. Why are Open Days important for prospective university students in the UK?
   Open Days allow you to visit universities, explore campuses, and get a feel for the environment before applying. You can tour halls of residence, learn about courses, and assess whether the location suits you. Since UK students typically list five university choices, attending Open Days helps narrow down preferences and ensures you make an informed decision.

4. What are 'Plate Glass' universities, and how do they differ from other UK universities?
   Plate Glass universities were built in the 1960s, named for their modern glass-heavy architecture. Examples include York, Lancaster, and Sussex. Unlike ancient universities (Oxford, Cambridge) or Red Brick institutions, Plate Glass universities were part of a post-war expansion to increase higher education access. They often feature spacious, green campuses and a mix of traditional and contemporary teaching styles.

5. How can learning about UK university terminology improve my British English fluency?
   Understanding terms like "Oxbridge," "Red Brick," and "Russell Group" helps you engage in conversations about education, a common topic in British culture. It also familiarizes you with British place names (e.g., Loughborough) and academic vocabulary. Listening to podcasts like Adept English and repeating lessons reinforces pronunciation and context, making your English sound more natural.

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Transcript: Improve English-Oxford Cambridge and Red Brick Unis

Understanding UK Universities: Red Brick and Russell Group Explained

Hi there and welcome to this podcast. You've probably heard of Oxford and Cambridge University and you've probably heard of the Ivy League universities in America. But do you know the term 'Red Brick' universities in the UK? And do you know what it means to be a 'Russell Group' university? In this episode I'm going to talk about the choices on offer if you're going to university in the UK. At the moment it's Open Day season, the time of year when British universities open their doors and anyone can come in and have a look around, usually future students. So in this podcast let's talk a bit about university Open Days but also about the different types of universities in the UK. I'll cover some really useful phrases, things you need to know and you'll learn more about the British university system. So a great topic for all language learners because it's about education but particularly good if you or your children are going to study at a British university. In the academic year 2021 to 2022, 680 000 International Students were studying for UK degrees so it's still a popular choice. Don't forget to listen to this podcast several times to help any new words stick in your head.

Hello, I'm Hilary, and you're listening to Adept English. We will help you to speak English fluently. All you have to do is listen. So start listening now and find out how it works.

Activate Your Listening: University-Focused English Lessons

And seriously if there are any of you who would like to go to university in the UK there is an excellent set of English lessons covering just this topic in much more depth in our course Activate Your Listening. It's Part Three on 'Education'. The topic of university is covered in various ways with my daughter especially who was at a British university at the time we made the course. So it's a conversation and she gives you an 'inside view' of university including what to cook if you're on a student budget. So if you're interested in learning the words, the vocabulary associated with university life then Activate Your Listening is ideal for you. So currently my son and I are busy visiting various universities in the UK. My son is my youngest child and hopefully the third one to go to university. He's currently coming to the end of year 12 in the British school system. He's 16 nearly 17 years old so we're looking at universities with a view to him going in September 2026 - next year. We're working quite hard, going through that list of British universities with his views in mind and selecting which ones to attend Open Days for.

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What Are Prospective Students and Open Days?

Open Days are where the universities throw open their doors and welcome prospective students, people who want to have a look around. The word 'prospective', P-R-O-S-P-E-C-T-I-V-E, 'prospective', is describing someone or something who or that is 'a prospect', a potential, a possibility in other words. So 'prospective' students usually accompanied by their parents go to the Open Days to have a look around the university buildings, hear about the courses and see the halls of residence. This is the accommodation where the students live. Above all, university Open Days are a really good way to get a feel for a place. Are you going to like it there? And if you're going to be a student you're going to be living in that location for three or four years. So you need to make sure you're happy with the town or city that the university is in. In the UK university entry system you put down five choices of university and send this in by the January of the year that you want to enter university. There's much more on this in Activate Your Listening of course but what it means is a lot of research to make sure you put down the right universities for you.

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Famous UK Red Brick Universities. Discover insider tips for choosing the right British university for you or your child.

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Types of UK Universities: Ancient Institutions

And there are lots of different types of university to choose from. You'll probably have heard of Oxford University and Cambridge University. They're sometimes collectively referred to as 'Oxbridge'. And along with St Andrews University in Scotland these are called 'the ancient universities' in the UK - reflecting the fact that they are the oldest universities. And these ones are usually at the top of any league table. They are 'elite'. That's E-L-I-T-E. The best in other words.

Traditions at Oxford, Cambridge, and St Andrews

Oxford Cambridge and St Andrews are very traditional and they very much have their own traditions. For example at Cambridge University the terms, T-E-R-M or periods of teaching don't have the usual names. In the British Education System we usually talk about the 'autumn term', the 'spring term' and the 'summer term'. But at Cambridge University these are Michaelmas, Lent and Easter. And at Oxford University different names again. Bizarrely the terms are called Michaelmas, Hilary and Trinity. So in these top traditional universities you may be required to wear a formal gown and go to formal meals and observe other traditions. If you like all of this and you can get the grades for entry to Oxford, Cambridge or St Andrews these will give you the university experiences closest to Harry Potter's Hogwarts. St Andrews is where Prince William went for example.

Red Brick Universities: Industrial Heritage

There are also a group of UK universities called 'Red Brick'. The 'Red Brick' universities. The word 'brick', B-R-I-C-K, means 'a building block'. What your house may be built from in other words. The Red Brick universities in the UK are Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester and Sheffield. So in our major cities. And the term 'Red Brick University' goes back to the Victorian era, from the time of Queen Victoria when a number of specialist universities were built in our major industrial cities. Red brickwork, sometimes ornate, O-R-N-A-T-E was common in buildings of this era. And in fact the Victoria Building in the University of Liverpool is probably the original 'Red Brick'. These universities focused on science subjects and engineering - subjects useful for the industrialisation of Great Britain and reflecting the time when they were built. So these university buildings showed a break in the tradition of Gothic stone architecture of places like Oxford and Cambridge. They were an invite to university for people who weren't from the upper classes - and the Red Brick buildings indicated this. And they're great universities to go to with prestige and good results. You'll sometimes see other universities than these called 'Red Brick'. Nottingham and Reading are examples.

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Plate Glass Universities: 1960s Expansion

Another term you may come across is 'Plate Glass' universities. Again this refers to buildings. These are universities that were built in the early to mid 1960s after a government call to build more universities. The seven 'Plate Glass' universities are York, Lancaster, East Anglia, Sussex, Essex and Kent universities. Oh and Warwick too. That's W-A-R-W-I-C-K. So again these universities from the 1960s are named after the architectural style at the time. And as with 'Red Brick' universities the term 'Plate Glass' universities is sometimes used to describe other universities that were built around the same time.

University of London: Capital City Institutions

Another group is the University of London which is a group of some 17 universities, all located in and around the capital. So the University of London includes such places as LSE, the London School of Economics, King's College, Goldsmiths and UCL or University College London - all belong to the University of London. If you want to study in the UK's capital then you will need money because accommodation, even student accommodation, is expensive in London. And you won't find universities with a campus. That's C-A-M-P-U-S. You won't find those in London.

A 'campus' means all the university buildings are on the same site and it tends to mean it's a bit green, it's leafy, there are trees and grass. So some people really like 'a campus university'. So you won't particularly find these in London but if you fancy all the excitement, all the London attractions on your doorstep then many of these London universities are prestigious. They have prestige. Be aware though, a little like 'London Gatwick' when in fact Gatwick Airport isn't that close to London, not all universities that are part of University of London are actually in the centre of London! For example, Royal Holloway is University of London but that's not that far from my house in Surrey!

New or Metropolitan Universities: Post-1992 Institutions

And then there are the so-called 'New' or 'Metropolitan' universities. These ones were upgraded to become universities in 1992. So these began as 'Polytechnics' and 'Colleges of Higher Education' which were really more like technical colleges - they taught technical subjects. These universities, these 'New' or 'Metropolitan' universities tend to be located again in cities and you can tell the difference between these and the local traditional universities because they have an extra name to show the difference, to differentiate. For example, in Nottingham there is Nottingham University and then there's Nottingham Trent University which is the modern Metropolitan uni. So Nottingham Trent was known as 'Trent Poly' or 'Trent Polytechnic'.

Similarly, there is the University of Liverpool and then there's Liverpool John Moores University which again is the ex- polytechnic or the Metropolitan university. If you want vocational subjects, subjects that have a job at the end of them - sounds like a very good idea - then these are good universities to go to.

Russell Group and Elite Universities Beyond

And lastly, if you've done any research into British universities, you'll have come across the 'Russell Group'. The 'Russell Group' is a collection of 24 universities in the UK which are large 'research-focused' universities that are often placed high in the league tables. Entry to 'Russell Group' universities is what many students aim for and this group includes Ancient and Red Brick and Plate Glass universities and the group is often assumed to have the UK's best universities but it's been mainly judged on research. Russell Group universities are ones like Exeter, Edinburgh, Queen's University in Belfast, Nottingham, Newcastle and Durham.

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However, don't assume that all the best universities are on this list. There are other elite universities not in the Russell Group such as the Universities of Bath, that's B-A-T-H, St Andrews, East Anglia, Lancaster, Leicester and Loughborough. These are all highly respected universities that are not in the Russell Group. So if you're doing your research on what are the best universities in the UK, do look further than the Russell Group. But if your university is in that list of 24 it means it's a really good one. Well that's a taste of what there is to know about British universities and of course it's an introduction to some British place names like 'Loughborough' for instance which can be difficult. It's also a podcast which covers good general vocabulary about university.

Goodbye

As ever, your comments are appreciated. Let us know whether this was easy, too easy, difficult, too difficult and what you thought of it. We love to hear from you.

Enough for now, have a lovely day, speak to you again soon. Goodbye.

Thank you so much for listening. Please help me tell others about this podcast by reviewing or rating it. And, please share it on social media. You can find more listening lessons and a free English course at adeptenglish.com

Links

• English Listening Skills New Uk Universities Ep 242
• Cambridge's academic year
• UK universities
• University of London
• royal family went to university
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